Birchwood Farms backs annual layette drive for Northern Michigan families

Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club and the Christ Child Society of Northern Michigan are preparing about 350 newborn layette totes for families across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. The long-running effort underscores how local volunteers are helping meet basic infant needs in multiple counties.

Why it matters: - The annual layette project delivers newborn essentials to families who may need help the most. - The effort reaches counties across Northern Michigan and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, expanding access to basic baby supplies. - More than 60 Birchwood Farms members take part in charitable work tied to the project, keeping the volunteer base active year after year.

What happened: - The Christ Child Society of Northern Michigan and Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club marked more than 16 years of working together on the fall layette project. - Volunteers gathered at Birchwood Farms to assemble about 350 layette totes for new mothers. - Birchwood Farms stored merchandise, hosted the two-day assembly effort and served lunch to volunteers.

The details: - The totes are distributed by the Northwest Michigan Health Department to families in Antrim, Emmet, Charlevoix and Otsego counties. - In the Upper Peninsula, the Newberry Health Department distributes totes to families in Luce, Mackinac, Alger and Schoolcraft counties. - Kim Jones, president of the Northern Michigan Chapter of the Christ Child Society, said Birchwood Farms’ support helps ensure new mothers receive essential supplies when they need them most. - Jones said the project shows what community members can accomplish together for families across the region. - The Christ Child Society was founded in 1887 in Washington, D.C., by Mary Virginia Merrick. - The organization now operates through 45 chapters across the United States. - The Newborn Layette program is the Christ Child Society’s signature initiative. - The organization also supports literacy and education, foster youth, and health and family programs. - Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club is a private, 1,600-acre residential community in Harbor Springs, Michigan, along the Tunnel of Trees and on the bluffs of Lake Michigan. - The community has more than 440 homeowners and features 27 holes of championship golf, tennis, pickleball, heated pools, dining, 130 buildable lots, and custom and spec homebuilding opportunities. - Birchwood Farms’ Claire Forney was named the Christ Child Society’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year last December. - The annual Layette Project is one of several local charitable initiatives supported by Birchwood members.

Between the lines: - The project reflects a steady local partnership rather than a one-off donation drive. - The scale of the volunteer effort suggests the tote assembly has become a reliable seasonal service for health departments and families in the region. - Birchwood Farms is using its property and member base as part of the community support network, not just as a venue.

What's next: - The Christ Child Society of Northern Michigan is inviting people to learn more, become members or participate in next year’s Layette Project at christchildsocietynorthernmichigan.com. - Birchwood Farms members are likely to remain part of future charitable efforts tied to the partnership. - The tote distribution will continue through the regional health departments serving Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

The bottom line: - A long-running partnership between Birchwood Farms and the Christ Child Society is helping turn local volunteer time into newborn essentials for families across a wide part of Michigan.